


cochleae cordis

by fawnstep



Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort Food, Crushes, Drabble, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 11:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10018271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawnstep/pseuds/fawnstep
Summary: Snorting and pushing his face forward, Naruto stuck out his tongue towards Sasuke’s back, “I take the initiative and you’re still cooking for me."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to drabble more and create a series of may-or-may-not be connected to eachother writings without the pressure of word counts.

Sakura pursed her lips looking at Naruto while stretching out meat on the grill taking up the left side table. It was Saturday with an extended break and her friend - best friend? She’s been noticing since Ino last mentioned her eyes sought out the blonde more and more. They’d fallen out of touch the past year not out of physical absence, but Naruto had seemed more reserved. His eyes clouded over in familiar sadness, and god's help her if she has to confront him again.

A harsh “Naruto!” has him jolting and alert with a look of annoyance before tending to the hotpot mumbling questioning acknowledgment. Sai peers over the edge of the bowl next to the grill, “You look like you’re holding in a shit or just took an awful dump,” he remarked watching as the passivity turned aggravated expression took on Naruto’s face, “does this really call for a lunch outing?”

Gritting her teeth and mouth snarling Sakura jabbed Sai in the arm, “In a restaurant? Really, we’ve talked about this Sai, I - I.” she groaned dropping her head into her hand, “I lost my temper, sorry.” she muttered pitifully eyebrows pinched together. It had been a good while since Sai’s social mishaps and there was accuracy in her friend’s lack of better phrasing after getting a better look at the blonde - noticeably oily hair, rumpled clothes with yesterday's stains accompanied with this morning's, the just enough deodorant, and purple tinged bags around lack-of-sleep eyes. Sai was right. Naruto looked like shit.

“You look like shit, Naruto.”

She smiles at the glower the blonde gives her in satisfaction while tending to the grill, “That’s better, now what’s up?” giving Naruto the privacy from her questioning eyes.

“I thought we were meeting up for lunch if I wanted a psych assessment I would go see Gran.”

“Maybe you should to get your bowels examined.”

Groaning through a mouthful of veggies Naruto slaps his utensils on the table surface, “Uchiha and me are fighting, okay?” he complained loudly and snatched up a piece of grilled pork Sakura finished flipping over, “Not like that’s anything new, y’know? Shouldn’t we be talking about Sai’s regression in manners.” 

“Says the slob talking through meat in his mouth.” Sakura remarks flatly and cuts over Sai’s commentary loudly, “Listen, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but me and Sai are worried about you,” frowning at her timing of cooking the meat and spooning up some broth to soften it up, “You can trust us, and who cares if you and Sasuke are fighting again - no, no! Not that it’s not important, what I’m saying is you two always bounce back together again ...in your unusual ways. Even so, we’re here for you when it get’s to be too much, hm?”

“I for one appreciate the sentiment of telling us what’s bothering you, Naruto.” Sai commented politely waiting for his bowl to cool, Sakura nodding beside him.

“Is it because of that day you guy’s fell in the bank?”

“It must be. I don’t ever recall you calling him ‘Uchiha’ before, Naruto.”

“Yeah well, he’s being a real ass is what.” Naruto grumbled half heartedly as he rested his cheek against a hand, “Look, I don’t even know what’s going on anymore, Sasuke’s just being his bitchy self like he always is when Itachi leaves town and he’s been holed up at home.” really his appetite is being pulverised right now, and he was so looking forward to the hotpot too, “Mikoto said things’ll go back to normal and not to worry anyways, so.” trailing off

Sakura frowned, “Then what has you so worked up?”

Hands fumble, “It just wasn’t one of our regular fights, y’know … family shit happens, he’s got school stuff so I’ve been busy too, and next thing I know Karin’s with him…”

“You’ve been with the Hyuuga’s more too, Naruto.” Sai commented over his tea, “Why should Karin be any more a problem than them.”

Naruto pushes his hands through his bedhead hair pulling it even further away from his face - he needs a comb soon, has he really been doing nothing? - “It’s not that, Karin’s family.” he breathes out, “Just … she told Sasuke that I was seeing one of them, Hinata or Neji, hell maybe both.” yup, appetite done and out the door. Naruto feels empty to his stomach, who knows the next time Sakura will ever treat him again he bemoans to himself, and pushes his bowl away.

“Were you not?”

“No Sai, he wasn’t.” Sakura says lost in thought, “That’s what you two were fighting about?” she feels the urge to smack her own forehead, “You threw yourselves into the river over some petty jealousy? Of course you’re not dating Hinata, she’s busy with her internship that not even me or Ino can get ahold of her, and Neji’s been practicing for his tournaments.” Bewildered at the thought of Sasuke being jealous. Jealous over Naruto. Presumably a Naruto who was dating?

Naruto eyes Sakura at her words, “It wasn’t exactly that it just .. just turned into a fest of feelings is all.” he rambles out trying to find the right words, “We both weren’t spending time together and just took it to heart, I guess.” trailing off, “I told him it’s not like he’s been making himself available lately.” Naruto laughed half heartedly. Like he’d replace the jerk with anyone. Or just leave. Asshole.

He’d never make Sasuke feel abandoned too.  
  
“What made you throw Sasuke into the river?” Sai looked at Naruto curiously.

‘Uhh…” Naruto felt his face flush and started playing with his drink, “I just pushed him out of the way too hard I guess after I got done yelling at him he’d never understand how I feel.”

Sakura blinked and then gave a warm smile, “You two are best friends. It’s like no one can get between you guys or anything matters when you’re around.” Giving his ankle a kind poke with her foot below the table.

“Yeah…”


	2. Chapter 2

Chest pushed up against the counter, Naruto leered at the barely-there-existant condensation produce on the ceramic. His arms pulled up over his ears to allow his chin to tuck and rest while he ignored his company across the island prattle on, because, no, it wasn’t disgusting slop, and two, he could’ve been having that slop by this minute!

“Stop it.”

Snorting and pushing his face forward, Naruto stuck out his tongue towards Sasuke’s back, “I take the initiative and you’re still cooking for me,” he jeered, “just proves me right in letting others take care of me, y’know!” finishing with a biting grin and knowing full well he was right, so right with the source being the aroma coming from the stove. He used oranges! His best friend could pretend all he like that he wasn’t spoiling Naruto, but who knew where the softness was coming from this afternoon.

“Shut it.” was all but grumbled back as Sasuke twisted the stove cap off and platting a generous omelette. Cast iron pushed forward and plate shoved towards Naruto who smacked his lips and started twisting his fork through the edges, “I’d rather avoid having your mother see a burnt down kitchen all because you can’t pay attention to watered down batter.”

Wiggling toes and through a mouthful of cheesy egg and sausage, “A crush on my ma, huh?”


End file.
